Haunted
by sussiekitten
Summary: AU - M/E In Alagaësia mythological creatures didn't exist sorely in stories; they were real. And one night Eragon found out just how real they were. Vampire fic. Rated for a reason. Slash and Language


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Eragon or anything associated with the Inheritance Cycle.

**Claimer: **I, SussieKitten, own this plot and the story. Borrow or steal my plot, my original characters (Aksel) or story and I will report you. I also own my version of Saphira/Thorn's human appearances, and the universe and versions of the creatures I use in this story (hydras and chimeras in particular).

**Warnings:** Slash/Yaoi – meaning guy x guy action. Femslash/Shōjo-ai – meaning mild girl x girl action. Mature content. Swearing or strong language. Supernatural creatures – there will be mainly elves, dragons and vampires in this. Mentioned Mpreg – This will be mentioned only and won't play a real part in the fic. Mentioned Character Death – made up characters only and it'll just be mentioned. A little Blood – this is a vampire fic after all. If any of this disturbs you, click on the "back" button. I won't tolerate any flames.

**A/N** This was a little inspired by "_Little Glass House_" by **rizenmad**. So, before you go accusing me of stealing the "vampire" idea, know that I asked her if it was okay that I wrote this, and she gave me the green-light. This is actually an old idea of mine that I tweaked to fit the Eragon universe, and it will have no resemblance of **rizenmad**'s fic whatsoever.

This is actually my first vampire fic, so I hope you all like it. I have flirted with this idea for some time, but never managed to find the courage. But you know what happens when the plot bunnies set in, right? :shakes her head amusedly:

A huge thanks to my beta **Illyric** who managed to get through this. I owe you one!

_-Speech.-_ Eragon and Saphira talking to each other mentally.

The italic text in-between the linebreaks later in the story is a flashback of what happened after the haze set in for Eragon.

**EDIT (16th of September)**

Due to FFNet's regulations, I have edited out parts of this chapter. The link to the unedited version of this chapter, along with the other unedited versions of my stories can be found on my "homepage". The rest of the stories in question will be up shortly.

* * *

**HAUNTED**

Mythological stories have been told all over the world for centuries, and they will without a doubt be told for centuries to come. But in Alagaësia and Surda it was different. In these countries the stories were true.

Beings did indeed crawl around in the night, hidden in the shadows; waiting for the right moment to come out and take you. Trees liked to talk, but only to those who fascinated them. If you weren't careful enough, the lake's water could reach out and drag you down into its depts. But what was most peculiar with Alagaësia and its neighbouring country was the beings that walked around in broad daylight.

Elves were the most common beings on the street, besides humans of course. They had pointed ears and were taller than most humans. Magicians kept mostly to themselves, but even they could be sighted buying oddities in local stores. Dragons lived freely around in the country, though they were rarely sighted. A few dragons however, had found a good friend in a human or elf and therefore had decided to stay in the cities. These beings were called hydras. Hydras were able to morph into humans, and then their hair and eyes had the colour of their dragon scales. These were all peaceful beings.

But there were creatures that were feared as well. Werewolves usually kept to themselves in packs, eating the animals in the forests instead of humans. And so it had been for a while with vampires as well. But as more modern days rose from the horizon, vampires began to walk among humans, feeding off of them and turning or killing them at their own whim. Young people were advised to stay away from stranger, even in daylight. Vampires could walk under the sun, but they preferred not to do so as they usually slept during the day. What hadn't changed was that a stake to heart was still as deadly to them as a silver bullet to a werewolf. But vampires were the most feared creatures of all times. They could lure and seduce their victim, and the victim wouldn't even know that they had been bitten until they were dead.

This is a story of how the peaceful and feared culture collided. And when things collide, it is rarely a pretty sight.

* * *

Eragon Rider was a typical human teenager. He was nineteen year old male with messy, light brown hair and deep brown eyes. And as he walked towards his last class of the day at Carvahall College, his eyes flickered towards a couple of seemingly too dark shadows. After having lived in Carvahall, Alagaësia all his life he knew what lurked around and waited for the opportune moment to reach out and snatch him.

Usually he had Saphira beside him, but she had a class before him that day and was therefore already waiting for him at the college. But due to the recent increase in what was suspected to be vampire-induced deaths, Eragon missed his friends dearly. Few vampires dared to attack when there was a hydra present, though no one was sure why that was. Maybe hydras, when they protected their precious people, became stronger than the oldest of vampires?

For it so happened that Saphira was a hydra. Saphira had been Eragon's friend ever since he had found her wounded in the forest when he had been younger. Saphira had been a young dragon then, and after she had stayed with him for a while she had turned into a hydra. In her human form, which she was usually in these days, she was a few inches shorter than Eragon and had soft blue hair with a few natural shades of darker blue in it and dark blue eyes. Her skin was a healthy colour and on the base of her neck was a black, complicated tattoo pattern that formed an oval shape. It was the mark that all hydras had in their human forms. In her human form, she was at the same age as Eragon. With his friend by his side, Eragon knew he would be safe.

Hydras, along with all other creatures, were allowed to go to school. The only creatures that kept to themselves were vampires and werewolves. But according to the law, should they choose to, they were allowed to pursue an education on the same level as any other human or creature.

The brunet shook himself out of his thoughts when he realised he had reached the college. He walked up the stairs and was just about to enter when he felt eyes on him. Eragon turned around sharply and narrowed his eyes as he looked around the campus grounds. There wasn't a soul in sight. He shuddered and almost ran inside of the door.

Had he stayed for but one more second, he might have seen a pair of glimmering eyes staring after him.

* * *

Even though Eragon was a native Alagaësian, he had decided to take Mythology as a side course. Mythology in Alagaësian and Surdan colleges featured both real and made-up mythological creatures, and Eragon had always been fascinated by them. When Saphira had warmed up to him, he hadn't stopped asking her questions about the dragon race. Saphira had been amused by his questions, and thankfully hadn't grown bored of them yet. Because Eragon had a feeling that if she grew bored, it wouldn't be a pretty.

Eragon entered his Mythology class and sought out his friend. Saphira lifted her hand and waved him over. A relieved smile entered his face and he half-ran over to his friend.

"Are you alright, Eragon?" Saphira asked softly.

"Uh, yeah," Eragon answered and winced when he heard the blatant lie in his voice.

_-Eragon, why do you even try to lie to me? You know I can detect it right away,-_ Saphira's voice gently echoed in his head.

That was another thing that happened once a dragon transformed into a hydra. They and the person they had transformed for were able to communicate mentally. Thankfully this only applied to the hydra and the other person. Saphira herself had told Eragon that if she could hear other people's thoughts as well, she would have gone mad quite quickly. _There are things you didn't want to know about people_, she had said.

_-I'm sorry, Saph. It's just...this is not a conversation I'd like to have in public,-_ Eragon replied.

_-I see,-_ Saphira said. _-Do you want to tell me like this, or later?-_

_-It's nothing,-_ Eragon paused when he practically felt Saphira calling him a liar, even though she hadn't spoken. _–I...I felt followed today. But it was just my imagination.-_

_-Are you sure? You know very well what lurks in the shadows,-_ Saphira pushed on.

_-I checked! There was no one there.-_

Saphira sighed out loud.

"Alright," she said. "But I'm walking home with you, the library can wait."

Eragon couldn't stop the small relieved smile from entering his face.

Their professor entered then with a grave look on his face. Eragon frowned. Professor Brom Teller had brown hair that was beginning to turn grey around his temples and had a pair of clear silvery grey eyes. Usually Brom was smiling or looked like he was plotting something. It was just the way Brom was. But now the brunet could clearly see that something was clearly wrong.

"Settle down, class," Brom spoke softly as he booted up the laptop before him.

The wall lit up as the projector was automatically started. It was still a glaring blue, but soon Eragon knew it would show the professor's lecture of the day.

"Today we will be talking about vampires."

As if he had spoken the magic words, the entire class fell into a stunned silence. Even with all the whispers of the creatures in the city and on the news, few people had expected it to be brought up in class.

"I'm sure your parents or guardians have already told you a lot about them, but here you will learn the horrible and ugly truth," Brom said and pressed a button on the small remote in his hands.

Behind him the screen lit up. Eragon couldn't tear his eyes from it and felt Saphira freeze a little from shock.

The class was staring at a picture of Dracula, the infamous name that everyone associated with vampires. But over the picture was a large X and beside it was a picture of Lestat. Eragon gulped. This looked like it wouldn't be a fun lecture.

"I'm here to get every silly notion you have of vampires out of your naïve little heads," Brom said and his voice rose as he continued to talk. "They don't flinch at the sight of a cross. In fact, some of them like to wear it to spot God. They won't run away at the smell of garlic, though they don't like it. So please, don't put garlic around your neck, because it won't dishearten them to come after you."

Eragon could almost hear several people in the class gulp. As the professor talked, he had pushed the button two times, each time featuring pictures of a vampire dying of the things he was now telling them were untrue. Some of them were quite humorous too, but no one was laughing.

"Vampires are known to walk at night, but they might just as well walk in the sun. Of course they are usually asleep at that time, but some vampires like to show off. For no, they do **not** burst into flames from getting a speck of sunlight on them," Brom barked. "But there is one thing that even the moronic movies that makes your girlfriend cling to you and scream have gotten right. Vampires are the seducers and bringers of death."

A new picture was shown on the screen. It was a male vampire that was sucking onto the jugular of a female. And, unlike other pictures Eragon had seen, the female in this one looked to be in pleasure and seemed like she was willingly giving up her life.

"There is little we can say for sure about how a vampire seduces his victims," Brom paused to glare at a couple of boys that had started to snigger quietly. "Oh, would you like to give the lecture? Please stand up. _Amuse _me."

The boys instantly became quiet. Eragon shared a look with Saphira. If there was one person you didn't anger in all of Alagaësia, then it was Brom Teller.

"I didn't think so," Brom said and gave a small snort. "Now, another myth I'd like to banish from your ignorant minds. Just because you're a boy doesn't mean that you're safe from male vampires."

Voices started to mumble around in the classroom at this.

"Vampires, like all creatures and humans, have a sexual preference. Girls aren't safe from female vampires for the same reason. But sometimes vampires doesn't care what gender you are, as long as they are fed," the class fell silent as Brom continued to walk back and forth slowly, looking at everyone in turn. "And when I say sexual preference class, I mean that sometimes vampires like to play with their prey. If you find yourself having intercourse with a vampire, there are two outcomes, and they both mean death. But -"

"Sir, what are the two outcomes?" a girl closer to the front raised her hand and asked.

Brom paused for a moment. He ran a hand over his jaw, stroking the stubbles as he did so.

"I suppose it does matter in some degree, though I was originally not going to tell you."

For some reason, Eragon found himself staring straight into his teacher's eyes as Brom said this. The man grumbled slightly and turned to face the entire class.

"What usually happens is that the vampire drains you. But there have been cases where the vampire spared their victim, during intercourse that is. A vampire sparing a victim that they have grabbed in an alley is far more common," Brom paused.

The class held their breath as they waited for the older man to continue.

"Intercourse between magical creatures or a magical creature and a human is always more than just a random fuck," the class choked when they heard such a word coming from their professor, but Brom just carried on. "Myths say that blood tastes sweeter to vampires when their victim is aroused. But when they then decide to spare their victim, it is either to come back for more, or to make them theirs forever."

"What do you mean, sir?" the same girl asked again.

"I have already said too much," Brom said and shook his head.

"Are you talking about mating, sir?"

Eragon choked. He stared at Saphira in shock. The blue haired female held her hand up and had a serious look on her face as she waited for Brom to respond. The older man sized the girl up before sighing tiredly.

"Does anyone here know how you become a vampire?" Brom asked. "I promise I will answer the question if someone can tell me this."

Everyone looked at each other, each face as clueless as the next. Eragon shakily raised his hand. Brom shot him a sad look, but nodded his head.

"They have to drink a vampire's blood, right sir?" he said softly.

"Sadly Mr Rider is correct," Brom said and shook his head.

The class started to murmur loudly, but Brom quietened them down with a sharp look.

"Mating is as important to vampires as it is to any other creature. They only have one mate, and most vampires never meet theirs. Their mate could either be a creature they never associate with, they could already be dead, or they simply never cross paths with them," the professor said and crossed his arms over his chest. "When I said 'come back for more', I meant that they come back and drain you slowly until you're dead or turned. Now, when vampires mate, they don't turn their chosen one. If they try to, their mate will die."

The class seemed to be holding their breath as they listened to the professor.

"Mating is equal to all species on this earth," at the clueless looks on the students' faces, Brom rolled his eyes. "I'm talking about sex."

Eragon felt his cheeks burn. Beside him, Saphira let out a quiet giggle.

"Like other magical creatures, a male vampire can impregnate his mate no matter what gender they are," several boys started to squirm in their seats, and Brom seemed to take a small pleasure in seeing this. "Somehow vampires, elves and werewolves have managed to do what the rest of the world has struggled to find the formula to; impregnate males. Notice how I don't mention magicians. If they had found a way to get guys knocked up, it would have been announced years ago."

Brom let out a bark-like laugh and turned to look onto the screen behind him. He pressed the button on the remote and watched as the picture and text changed. Eragon felt a small blush enter his face when he read the headline. _**Mating.**_ Wonderful. It seemed like Brom had prepared to tell the class about mating after all.

"There is said to be ways that a mate can turn a vampire into a human again, and for once class; I can't scoff at it or tell you how it can be done. No one knows if the myth is true or not. But once a vampire mates, their mate is everything. Perhaps that is why they never intentionally look for them?" Brom smirked slightly. "Once they have a mate, no blood will satisfy them but their mate's."

Brom chuckled slightly before pressing the button again. Eragon breathed out when it was another subject all together.

"But enough about his mating stuff. How do you recognize a vampire, class?" Brom paused for a moment. "No one knows? I can tell you that they don't transform themselves into bats. The movie producers have an even crazier imagination than a magician hyped up on potion fumes."

A few students laughed.

"No, what you need to look at is their eyes. Why not their teeth?" Brom snorted. "When you're able to see their teeth, it'll be too late to get away. Now, their eyes, like werewolves, have a unique colour. But a vampires eyes, class..."

The students leaned forward in eager anticipation.

"They say that the real colour of a vampire's eyes is the last thing you see before they kill you," Brom smirked and his grey eyes seemed to almost twinkle with amusement. "And I beg you all to take this to heart. If a person's eyes glimmer like a cat's, get the hell away from there. Because if you see a red colour so dark it's almost black in someone's eyes, then you're staring into the face of the last vampire you'll ever see."

Brom pressed another button on the remote and the screen behind him went blank.

"Class dismissed."

* * *

Eragon and Saphira weren't alone in the apartment they shared when they came home. In the apartments around them lived a couple of people they had come to consider as their closest friends. Before meeting Saphira, the only friends Eragon had had was his cousin Roran and Roran's girlfriend Katrina. And they were more like siblings than friends to him. But when he had moved to be closer to the college, he had met and befriended Aksel Wood, Arya Elve and Nasuada Black.

Aksel was twenty years old and had blond hair that he insisted on styling in a strange Mohawk. He had even coloured the tips green. His eyes were dark green with a flicker of yellow in them. His ears were slightly pointed as Aksel was in fact a chimera. A chimera was a child born from a human and an elf. Eragon wasn't sure why that name was used for people like Aksel, but no one seemed to be in a hurry to change it. A chimera had smaller ears, but they were still pointed, and more round features. A full-blooded elf had sharper and more distinctive features. He and Aksel had hit it off right away.

Arya was an elf and had turned twenty-one not long ago. She and Aksel were in fact related, even though they barely looked alike. They had the same green eyes, but Arya had blue black hair that usually hung a few inches above her shoulders. Arya's father had had an affair with a human, and thus Aksel had been born. They hadn't known of one-another until they met in college and even that had been a fluke. They had been inseparable ever since.

Nasuada was twenty-two years old and human through and through. She had light brown skin and black hair that was straight and cut to her chin. Her eyes were black, but they had a flicker of dark brown in them. She and Arya had been dating for a few years and had just recently decided to move in together when Eragon had met them.

When the brunet had come home that day, he had been ready to lock himself up and sleep right through the weekend, seeing as it was Friday. But Arya, Nasuada and Aksel, who all lived on the same floor as him and Saphira, had other plans.

"Let's go clubbing!" Arya said excited. "It's been such a long time."

They were all sitting in Saphira and Eragon's living room. Saphira, Nasuada and Arya shared the couch while Aksel and Eragon had taken the two small armchairs.

"Not long enough for me," Eragon grumbled.

"Party-pooper," Arya said and raised an eyebrow.

"Can't help it," Eragon said and crossed his arms. "I hate dancing, and last time I checked clubbing involved dancing."

"Not necessary," Aksel piped up and sent the brunet a saucy wink. "Just if you wanna get down and dirty with someone."

Eragon leaned over and smacked the blond male in the back of his head.

"Aksel is right though. You don't have to dance to come along," Saphira said and sent her friend an innocent look.

_-Traitor,-_ Eragon sent back.

Saphira just brushed some hair out of her face and smiled.

"If you don't want to come, you don't have to," Nasuada said and stood up. "But Arya and I have just finished a couple of rough exams, and we're going there to celebrate."

There was a soft blush on her face as Nasuada said this. When Eragon noticed the grin on Arya's face, he chose not to comment.

"Awww, don't leave me all alone with this female fest!" Aksel whined at his friend. "Please! I'd choke and die."

"Well, it was about time," Eragon commented innocently.

Aksel pouted.

"Evil, that is what you are," He said accusingly.

"Eragon, if this is about earlier..." Eragon shushed Saphira before she could finish the sentence.

"No, continue. What about earlier?" Arya asked with a small frown.

"Eragon thought he was being followed this afternoon," Saphira said before Eragon could stop her.

"Oh, it's probably best if you stay here then," Nasuada said, instantly becoming worried.

"No!" Eragon exclaimed. "It was nothing, I swear! I checked and everything."

"Creatures are sneaky bastards, 'Agon," Arya said and raised an eyebrow. "I would know."

"And as if I'm safe here all alone," Eragon said then, trying a different approach.

He really didn't want to be left alone, now that he thought about it. The group around him fell silent.

"Alright. But one of us will always be with you, or at least watching you," Arya said sternly and rose. "Well then, I guess we're going clubbing!"

It took a second for Eragon to process that word. When he had done so, he groaned. He had completely forgotten why he had been begging to come along in the first place. Typical!

* * *

Eragon sulked as he sat in a booth at the most popular club in Carvahall. The Spine, named after the feared mountains just outside the city, had been opened just a few years prior and had been a hit since day one. But at that moment Eragon didn't care at all. He was bored, and that was all that mattered.

Eragon was dressed in slightly tight and torn blue jeans with a studded belt around his hips. His female friends had forced him into a tight black tee that had fishnet arms that went from his lower biceps to his elbows. The tee had tears that showed off the fishnet underneath. His hair and been styled for him as well as the hint of eyeliner that had been applied around his eyes.

He looked around in the room to try and find his friends. Despite what they had said earlier, he had pushed them to go and have fun. But Eragon suspected he someone would join him again soon. Aksel had after all just gone to the bathroom.

The brunet shook the thoughts out of his head. He'd rather not think about why he didn't want to be alone at the moment. He finally spotted Saphira at the bar. She had a small smile on her face as she talked to a tall red haired male. Saphira was dressed in a dark blue, almost black skirt that went to her mid-thighs and a tight white top. She had a black leather necklace around her neck and various accessories around her arms.

Eragon looked critically at the man she was talking to. He looked a few years older than Saphira. He was wearing black and a little faded jeans and a blood red tight, v-necked tee. He had deep red hair with almost a small shine of orange in it. His eyes looked a soft red, but Eragon couldn't be sure. When he shifted, the brunet could see a hint of a black tattoo on his neck. He was a hydra too. No wonder Saphira was talking so animatedly with him.

"Yo, what'cha staring at?"

Eragon jumped as someone slapped a hand in-between his shoulders.

"Aksel, must you do that every time?" Eragon growled at the male that had slid into the booth.

Aksel grinned. He wore baggy, light grey jeans with two chains and a brown t-shirt that had black stripes in the arms and shoulders. Because of his hairstyle, his slightly pointed ears stood out.

"Sorry," Aksel said mock-sheepishly.

Eragon just rolled his eyes at him.

"So?" The blond said and nudged Eragon.

"Saphira's there over by the bar, talking to another hydra," He answered simply and took a sip out of his non-alcoholic drink.

"Yeah?" Aksel exclaimed excitedly and turned to stare in their direction. "You don't see a lot of hydras these days. I heard there were more back in the day, you know, before Galbatorix went nuts and decided to kill 'em off."

The brunet just shrugged. It was true that their former king Galbatorix had been a bit of a nut job, and he had been accused for a lot of things. Most of them were probably true. One of those accusations was that he had, for some reason, gotten angry at the dragons and had ordered for them to be killed off. People even said he was the reason few dragons wandered close to Alagaësia even years after his death.

"So, where are the others?" Eragon said with a sigh.

"Out there somewhere," Aksel said and waved dismissively towards the dancing masses.

Eragon wrinkled his nose. As he had told his friends earlier, he hated to dance, period.

"Ah, there they are!"

Eragon shook his head and looked in the direction Aksel was pointing. There he could indeed see Nasuada and Arya dancing together. Arya seemed to be doing the leading in what could only be described as a dance taken right out of 'Dirty Dancing'.

Arya had put her hair up in a ponytail in the back of her head, showing off her pointed ears and sharper features with pride. She was wearing a tight black skirt that ended on her knees and had splits on both sides. The top she was wearing was green and was cut so that it only had one sleeve. On her hands she wore black, fingerless gloves.

Nasuada was wearing in a beige low-cut dress that hugged her curves and ended on her mid-thighs. The colour of it slowly turned dark brown as it went past her waist. She was wearing hoops in her ears and a brown belt loosely around her hips. Her neck and arms were bare of any jewellery.

"Yeah, they're not coming back anytime soon," Eragon muttered and looked away.

Aksel snorted loudly.

"You just be glad they aren't making out," he said dryly.

Eragon choked on his drink. He coughed for a good minute before he could breathe normally again. In front of him Aksel continued to snigger quietly.

"I hate you so much right now."

"Is there someone I need to castrate? Just say the word," an amused female voice entered their conversation.

"Yes, please," Eragon drawled and smirked at the panicked look on Aksel's face.

Saphira laughed loudly as she sat down beside the brunet.

"Oh, relax. We were only kidding, Aksel," Saphira said with a small smirk.

Aksel shot them a dark glare.

"Well, you don't see me laughing, now do ya?" he growled.

Saphira managed to stay serious for one second before bursting into laughter. It nearly drowned in the thumping music around them, though the couple in the nearby booth glanced at their table for a second before looking away.

"Oh, I've stepped into the twilight zone," she giggled.

"Ah, I pulled an Eragon, didn't I?" the blond said and let out quiet snigger.

The brunet made sure to put extra killing intent behind the glare he sent Aksel's way. The blond actually jumped a little. Eragon grinned evilly.

"Evil, pure evil," Aksel said and pouted.

"Don't be such a baby," Saphira said and shook her head.

"Hey, before I forget...who was that guy you were talking to?" Eragon said and turned to face his friend better.

Saphira blushed slightly and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"That was Thorn," she answered. "He's one of the bartenders here, but he was off-duty today."

"He's a hydra, right?" Eragon asked in a whisper.

"The first one I've met after I came to Carvahall," Saphira said and nodded.

Eragon bit his lip. Saphira was the first hydra he had met himself, but while visiting Arya's hometown he had met another. Saphira had then been severely disappointed she hadn't been able to come.

"Alright, subject change!" the green eyed male exclaimed. "No use going around crying over split milk."

"So, have you seen anyone interesting, Aksel?" Saphira practically purred as she leaned over the table.

The blond frowned in thoughts as he scanned the room.

"Nah, can't say I do. And boy, they sure are going at it!" he exclaimed the last part loudly and covered his eyes.

Eragon looked back at the dance floor and immediately looked away, his cheeks bright red. Arya and Nasuada looked quite busy with trying to devour each other.

"They're not afraid of showing their love to the world. I think it's cute," Saphira said and looked back at the two blushing boys.

"I thought you only thought two guys going at it were cute?" Eragon muttered and rubbed his hands pathetically against his cheeks.

"Well, they're cuter," the blue haired female said and winked. "You don't feel like giving me a show, do you, Aksel?"

"Hey, I may swing both ways, but I don't throw myself at someone to amuse others," Aksel said and crossed his arms over his chest.

Eragon wasn't surprised when he saw Saphira raise an eyebrow at the same time as he did.

"Alright, so I might have done it a few times," the green eyed male said and raised his hands in surrender. "But no one here's good enough. Though that guy at the bar is frigging hot, he's not my type and he isn't looking at me either."

"Ah," Saphira said and nodded like she understood.

"Huh? What guy?"

Saphira snorted.

"What have you been looking at all night? There was an illegally hot guy that was standing right beside Thorn when I was talking to him!" she said and pointed in that direction. "Don't you see him?"

Eragon looked over and frowned.

"No, can't say I do," he replied.

"What? Oh, **now** he's gone," Saphira said and shook her head. "Well, let me put it to you this way; when you see him, you won't be able to look away."

"How come you could, then?" Aksel leered at her.

Saphira blushed and sent him a murderous glare.

"She was too busy staring at Thorn, of course," Eragon said and laughed.

The blue eyed girl hit Eragon's arm and mock-scowled at him.

"Hello, guys."

The trio turned to face the two females that had just stopped in front of their table. Eragon noticed that Arya looked thoroughly flushed, but was beaming. Nasuada had a small smile on her face despite looking a little embarrassed.

"Why aren't you guys out on the floor?" Arya continued, crocking an eyebrow at them. "I know why 'Agon's too scared to, but Saph?"

"I just had to save Aksel from being killed. Eragon looked ready to murder him," Saphira said and smirked softly.

Nasuada let out a quiet laugh.

"When doesn't he?" she commented amusedly.

Eragon just rolled his eyes.

"Well, we're going back out there! And Saph, I saw you chatting with some guy; you go and dance with him! And Aksel..." Arya paused with a smirk. "You go do your thing."

Aksel raised two fingers to salute his half-sister. Arya chuckled and dragged a slightly complaining Nasuada back onto the dance floor. Arya pulled her girlfriend to her and started to make Nasuada move with her. The black eyed girl just smiled sheepishly and continued to dance.

Saphira shook her head amusedly at them.

"Well, it seems like I've got a redhead to find," she said and stood up, smoothing out her skirt as she did so. "Sure you don't want to come along?"

"With you, to seduce some redheaded giant?" Eragon paused to mock-cringe. "I'd rather pass."

Saphira rolled her eyes.

"You know what I meant," She said and shook a finger at him. "The floor isn't going to bite. And who knows, maybe you'll find someone interesting there."

"Yeah, just stay away from bloodsucking bastards!" Aksel piped up and grinned widely.

"Go fuck yourself," Eragon said sourly.

"I'd love to, but unfortunately I can't," Aksel said and sighed tragically. "I'll settle for that hotness right over there."

Saphira and Eragon watched in stunned silence as Aksel walked up to a brooding-looking male and tapped his shoulder. A few seconds later and with apparently a few well-chosen words from Aksel, he had managed to drag the other man out onto the dance floor and had proceeded to dance with him.

"...How does he do that?" Eragon asked puzzled.

Saphira brushed a strand of blue hair out of her eyes.

"I have no idea," she said and shrugged. "But seriously, Eragon...at least think about it. It must be boring to sit here all night by yourself."

"What other choice do I have? You guys abandon me to dance with total strangers," the brunet drawled. "And you said you weren't going to leave me here alone."

Saphira sighed and ran a gentle hand through his hair.

"You could always be there with us," she said. "And it's not like we want to leave you here."

"I think I'll pass," Eragon said softly. "But thanks."

The blue eyed female sent him a soft smile before fighting her way towards the bar, obviously in search for this Thorn guy.

Eragon looked away and scowled down into the glass in his hands. He took a small sip and placed it down onto the table. Around him stood four empty glasses, all belonging to a friend that was currently out on the dance floor.

He sat in his own thoughts for a while. Aksel's comment had made him think. The body count had upped quite alarmingly during the past few weeks. Even though a few vampires had been found and had been killed by angry citizens, there were still obviously a large number of them roaming around. Everyone had been advised to be on guard. Eragon frowned slightly and started twiddle his thumbs. He tried to remember what colour Brom had said their eyes were. White? No, that was stupid. Something dark, he was sure of it.

Eragon had been sitting there for only a few minutes before he felt eyes on him. He looked up and got ready to glare at whoever dared to stare at him, or to flee if he felt the need to. However, the glare was gone from his eyes before he could even fully form it.

He looked to be at least four years older than Eragon and was sitting in one of the barstools with his arms crossed over his chest. He was clad in tight black pants, which to Eragon looked oddly like leather. There looked to be two belts looped around his waist as well. The t-shirt he was wearing was black, tight enough that it showed off his muscles, but loose enough that it didn't slide up. The neck of the tee clung to the back and the sides of the man's neck and was split on the front. The split ran down his chest and stopped just above his stomach, and showed off plenty of his pale and muscular skin. One of his wrists was encircled with a leather band. He had shaggy black hair that hung into his eyes and framed his face. His hazel eyes seemed to almost shine through his hair. And they were pointed directly at Eragon.

The brunet felt his eyes widen. He looked away and felt his cheeks burn painfully. No way was that guy looking at _him_! He turned away to look at the dance floor, trying very hard to not notice that it still felt like someone was staring at him.

"Hey."

Eragon jumped. He had been too busy staring at Saphira giggle with that red haired giant to notice someone coming up to him, let alone sit down! He turned around slowly, and promptly blushed.

"Uh, hi," Eragon said awkwardly.

"You look lost," the male said as a small smirk entered his lips.

The brunet tried not to notice how the man's voice was husky and seemed to almost draw him in. Oddly enough it seemed naturally husky. There were a few things Eragon could pick up on, and a person's quality was one of them. He could easily sense if someone was something other than human. Strangely enough the vibes he was getting from the stranger seemed human, but something was different with them.

"Well, my friends are all out dancing, and I've just never been much of a party person," Eragon confessed sheepishly.

Eragon paused for a second. He was never that honest with people he didn't know.

"What are you?" he asked suspiciously and narrowed his eyes at the other.

The man before him leaned back with his hands raised in surrender.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I just thought you looked lonely," he said and gave a half-smile.

Eragon frowned slightly, but allowed himself to relax a bit more.

"Sorry, you can never be too careful, you know," the brunet said and bit his lip.

"Oh, I completely understand," the man said and lowered his hands.

Eragon gave a small nod before looking back down at his hands.

"Where are my manners? I'm Murtagh," the dark haired man said and held his hand out.

Eragon let a small smile graze his lips as he shook the offered hand. When he first grasped the hand, he could have sworn it felt as cold as death. But before he could pull away the warmth was back in the hand.

"I'm Eragon," Eragon said with a slight hint of hesitation.

Murtagh smirked.

"Well then, Eragon...would you like to dance?"

Eragon felt his eyes widen. He didn't even really notice that Murtagh had yet to let go of his hand.

"I'm not much of a dancer, really," Eragon answered awkwardly.

"You don't have to be," Murtagh replied, his voice deepening slightly. "Come on. It'll be fun, I promise."

For some reason Eragon found himself nodding. He let himself be pulled up by his hand and slowly led towards the dancing masses. While they walked, Murtagh didn't let go of his hand or break their eye-contact.

Once the brunet felt himself get pulled past several dancing couples, he felt his senses returning to him. He shook his head and tried to see if he recognized anyone around him. He didn't get a chance to look very closely before Murtagh pulled him so hard that he stumbled into the other's body. Murtagh chuckled. The sound sent shivers down Eragon's spine.

"I don't know how to dance, I swear," Eragon yelled into the other's ear.

Now that they had entered the dance zone, they had to talk loudly or yell to be able to hear each other.

"You don't have to. Just let the beat of the music flow through you and move with it. That's all it takes," Murtagh said into Eragon's ear. "I'll guide you if you have any trouble."

Eragon just rolled his eyes. If that wasn't contradicting, then he didn't know what was.

Just then another song came on. The heavy bass seemed to jump straight into his body and alter the beat of his heart. It was awkward at first. But when Murtagh came even closer, close enough for to smell him, Eragon figured it wasn't that bad. Murtagh's hands gently grasped his hips as he looked deeply into Eragon's brown eyes. Eragon lifted up his right arm and slung it around the other's neck. Murtagh smirked and began to guide his hips.

After a short while Eragon was able to move on his own. Murtagh's right hand left his hips to cradle the younger's neck. Eragon nearly moaned at the feeling of skin against skin. Was it supposed to feel that good?

Murtagh chuckled and pulled him even closer. Eragon wasn't really sure how that was possible; they looked practically glued together already. The dark haired man leaned down and buried his face in Eragon's neck. Eragon's left hand shot up to grasp the sleeve on Murtagh's left arm. Eragon could feel him smirk against his neck. Then the hazel eyed man opened his mouth and started to kiss and nibble the brunet's flesh.

A moan left Eragon's mouth this time. Murtagh smirked and began to alter between nibbling and licking the neck. Eragon felt all tension leave him as he offered his neck almost wantonly to the other. When Murtagh began to grind against him, Eragon held on tighter and grinded back. And when Murtagh's mouth left his neck to capture his lips, Eragon kissed back with all his might, not even noticing that everything went black.

* * *

There were few times Saphira could remember feeling so scared that it overrode all of her other senses. And little did she know she was about to feel that again very soon.

When she had met Thorn, she hadn't believed her own eyes at first. But when his eyes twinkled with real emotions and didn't glaze over from being contacts and when she smelled the dragon scent on him, she knew she hadn't felt so happy since Eragon had helped her.

"Tell me about your rider," Thorn said as they sat behind a speaker, where the sound wasn't as loud.

Rider was the term hydras referred to the person they had become a hydra for. Even though it was ages ago that hydras actually carried their rider in their dragon form, the name had stuck.

"He's the kindest boy you'll ever meet," Saphira said as she gazed into Thorn's deep red eyes. "Though he can be quite clumsy and naïve, he's the best friend I could ever hope to get."

"And this isn't just the bond talking?" Thorn asked in his deep and almost rumbling voice.

The bond was the link that a hydra had with their rider. It wasn't just a mental link, but an emotional one as well. When their rider was in danger, they could sense it immediately. Thankfully, that was the only thing they could feel, or hydras would get stuck feeling every ups and downs their riders went through as well as their own.

"No," Saphira replied and shook her head. "He befriends people without caring what they are, just as long as they aren't out to kill anyone he's close to or himself. I can admit that he had a rather violent temper and can get on people's nerves sometimes, but ask anyone who knows him and they'll say the same as me."

Thorn smiled a small and almost sad smile.

"I wish I could say the same for my rider," he said and took a gulp of his drink.

Saphira frowned slightly. She brushed the hair out of her eyes and leaned closer to the other hydra.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Well, my rider isn't the kindest person around," Thorn said and winced slightly. "But he helped me, gave me a home when I was on death's door and listens to me when I really need someone. Being alone is a terrible thing."

Saphira bowed her head slightly. She knew what that was like. Hydras and dragons were emotional beings, worse than elves even! They were pack animals who rarely walked off alone on their own terms. Being alone was almost as bad as being dead to a hydra.

"I understand," she whispered quietly.

Saphira felt a hand on her chin lift hear head up. Thorn leaned forward and brushed his nose gently against hers. It was the dragon way to comfort each other. Saphira let out a soft smile.

"Where have you been all of my life?" Thorn teased quietly.

Saphira felt a soft blush enter her cheeks.

"I could say the same about you," she countered with a teasing smirk.

Thorn let out a soft laugh. Saphira jumped slightly when he took her hand in his. Saphira grinned and squeezed the hand back.

"Yo, Saph! Have you seen Eragon lately?"

Saphira turned around to face the newcomer. Aksel's hair looked even wilder from all the dancing, and behind him she could see a dark haired male roll his eyes and lean onto the counter with a bored look on his face. But it was Aksel's slight frown that made her anger melt away. Something didn't feel right.

"Um, no," Saphira said and looked towards the booth she had left him in.

It was empty.

"Well, I was just in the bathroom, and he's not there either," Aksel said and shrugged.

Saphira's senses immediately began to almost tingle. She didn't like not knowing where her rider was, particularly under the current circumstances. She scanned the dancing masses, even though she didn't believe she would find him there, and was proven right.

"Oh, Arya!" Saphira called out and raised a hand.

Arya instantly turned around. An elf could pick up distinctive sounds much easier than a human. She said something to Nasuada before they both began to fight their way over to Saphira and Aksel.

"What's going on?" Arya said once they were close enough.

"Have you seen Eragon?" Saphira asked, ready to open her mind in a second and call out for her friend.

"Actually, yeah," Arya said and reached up to tighten the band she had pulled her hair back with. "He was out on the floor dancing with this really hot guy. I was shocked to the bone! I thought he hated to dance because he couldn't. But damn, he actually knows how to move if he just gets started."

For some reason, warning bells were starting to ring inside of Saphira's mind.

"What did he look like?"

Surprisingly enough it was Thorn that asked the question.

"Oh. Arya, Nasuada, Aksel...this is Thorn," Saphira said and pointed to each of her friends in turn.

Arya scanned the taller hydra quickly before giving him a small nod. Nasuada smiled while Aksel raised two fingers in greeting.

"Now, what he looked like?" Arya bit her lip as she thought. "Dark hair, white skin, about a half a head taller than Aksel and he was wearing tight black clothes."

Thorn was startled into a straight position.

"Was he wearing two belts?" Thorn asked sharply.

"Wait, the guy that was sitting at the bar behind Thorn earlier?" Saphira said at the same time.

"Yes to both of your questions."

Thorn paled.

"It's a full moon next Wednesday, right?" he said and started to quickly scan the club, as if he wasn't even waiting for an answer.

Saphira felt alarmed when she saw Thorn's pupils narrow to look more closely at the people. Hydras could activate their dragon sight by narrowing their pupils. That way they could easily locate anyone or anything they were looking after. A rider, for instance, would light up with the colour that their bond was. In Saphira and Eragon's case, their bond was blue because of Saphira's blue scales.

"Damnit! Why today, Murtagh?" Thorn growled and shot to his feet. "Saphira, I need you to activate your bond. I can't reach my rider, but perhaps it isn't too late."

While the others started to question Thorn left and right, she opened the link. But there was something blocking it. All she could feel and see was blackness. She was unable to even send out a message.

"Nothing...I can't reach him!" Saphira said, feeling her pulse start to race.

"Your rider, Eragon I presume? He's a human, right?" the red haired hydra asked as his hand gripped Saphira's tightly, his eyes never stopping their quest around in the room.

"He is," Saphira answered, her voice shaking slightly.

"Well, there's something I forgot to tell you about mine. Murtagh isn't."

* * *

When the blackness lifted from Eragon's vision he found himself outside in an alley, pinned to a wall. Murtagh was still kissing his neck and shoulder, though his hands weren't still either. The only thought that entered Eragon's mind was that he was glad it was a warm spring.

He knew he hadn't blacked out, but he couldn't remember how he had gotten there. Warning bells were beginning to sound in his mind, but just then Murtagh lifted his head and captured Eragon's lips again, and they fell silent.

Eragon couldn't remember the last time he had felt so good. It seemed like all his senses had been heightened and centred on pleasure. He felt drugged, but in a good way. Everything that Murtagh did that caused him to gasp seemed magnified and coursed through his entire body. He wasn't sure what was up or down anymore, and didn't care as long as Murtagh didn't stop.

The brunet let out a particular loud gasp when Murtagh pulled up his shirt and latched onto his right nipple. Eragon's hands latched onto the brick wall behind him, but found no leverage. Murtagh's unoccupied hand slowly glided down his side until it ghosted over his groin. Eragon groaned.

Murtagh let out a quiet chuckle. Suddenly Eragon's t-shirt was pulled over his head and down to rest on his upper back, seeing as his arms hadn't been freed from the material. It felt awkward before Murtagh was kissing him again and everything was forgotten. It felt like there's a permanent haze in his mind, but when the other slid his tongue over Eragon's just so, the brunet forgot even thinking the word haze.

Eragon's arms were thrown around Murtagh's shoulders, pulling the other as close as possible. Murtagh smirked and occasionally pulled back just so that Eragon would pull him in again. When the hazel eyed man started to scrape his nails gently over his nipples, Eragon grasped onto Murtagh's scalp and dragged his nails across the surface. Murtagh groaned into Eragon's mouth. Then he was gone, his mouth once again sucking and licking Eragon's neck. And when Murtagh's hands slid down to open his belt and jeans; he could only throw back his head to give Murtagh better access. The jeans were suddenly not pressing impossibly against his erection anymore, and there was cold air brushing against it. Eragon's pants started to get louder as Murtagh dragged the jeans and boxers down to his knees. Then there was a warm hand cupping him, and Eragon's mind was once again overridden with pleasure.

Murtagh sucked briefly onto his earlobe before the mouth was back onto Eragon's. Eragon could only latch onto Murtagh's unoccupied arm as he started to pump Eragon's arousal. The brunet quickly gave up on kissing back and threw his head back to be able to breathe more properly. The dark haired male dragged his tongue over Eragon's lips before pulling back, a definite smirk on his face.

Before Murtagh was quite sure what hit him, Eragon had snuck his hands up Murtagh's shirt and dragged them down the pale back. Murtagh arched into the touch and groaned, his hand tightening around Eragon as he did so. The brunet groaned loudly and pulled Murtagh even closer.

The rest was lost in a haze.

* * *

_"You're a fucking **vampire**!"_

_Laughter._

_"Guilty. I never claimed to be anything else."_

_A chuckle._

_Shuddering._

_"Never trust strangers, Eragon."_

* * *

The first thing he noticed was the muted sounds around him. It was like he had been stuck inside a bubble and was hearing the sounds around him through the barrier. The next thing he noticed was the pains in his body. At least the pain meant he wasn't dead.

...Now, why would he think he could be dead? His memory seemed a little flaky. His mind was filled with a thick fog. In fact, where was he? He seemed to be laying on something hard and cold. The floor maybe? Only that it felt too cold to be inside. Then he was outside? For some reason, that didn't make sense to him. He had a feeling that he was supposed to be inside...that there was someone waiting for him there.

And just like that Eragon remembered.

"Aaah!" he cried out as he finally managed to open his eyes.

Everything was hazy around him for a moment. He blinked his eyes a couple of times before his sight came back. The brunet found himself lying partly on his side and partly on his stomach. His head hurt and throbbed like someone was hitting him repeatedly with a large hammer. His stomach was queasy and obviously wasn't pleased with him. And Eragon knew that the moment he tried to stand up, the dull ache in his ass would grow to a raging fire.

But none of that mattered. He was alive!

The brunet let out a relieved laugh. Shakily he pushed himself up and nearly fell back down when, just as he had thought, the ache in his ass multiplied a million times. But so what, the vampire had let him live!

And that was where his joy ended. Eragon frowned and pushed himself to his feet. He knew he would be limping for a while. Damn that guy for being so rough! Damn _himself_ for not saying no! Damn it all to hell!

Eragon brushed a shaking hand through his hair and sighed. He glanced down at himself and frowned when he realised he had been re-dressed. He pulled down his tee and buckled the belt properly, but apart from that, the vampire had actually dressed him and just walked away.

He raised a hand shakily to his neck. He felt the right side of it, scared of what he might find, but it was as smooth as if it had never been bitten. And as far as he could tell, there was no bruise or blood left behind.

Eragon shook his head. He didn't really want to think about it, but he couldn't help himself. Brom had said that when a vampire let you live after having...sex...with it; it was for two reasons only. And they both meant...Eragon gulped.

"ERAGON!"

The brunet looked up sharply just in time to see Saphira throw her arms around him and hug him tightly. Eragon cried out.

"Ah! Saphira, be careful," he said as the blue haired girl let go.

"Oh God, we were so worried," Saphira said, and Eragon felt shame enter him when he saw the tears in her eyes.

"Why?" he asked and tried to look as casual as possible.

Aksel, Arya, Nasuada and the tall guy Eragon could remember from earlier exited the club then. The first three were instantly on him, asking him where the hell he had been, what happened and so on.

"One at a time!" Eragon said loudly and slipped his hands slowly into his pockets.

He noticed that if he slouched slightly, the ache in his lower back lessened.

"Why were you worried?" the brunet asked and let a small frown enter his face.

"You saw Murtagh, didn't you?" the tall guy asked before anyone else could open their mouth.

"Eragon, this is Thorn," Saphira said and nodded towards the tall guy. "He...well, he can tell you himself."

"I uh...I don't understand. Murtagh who?" Eragon asked, pretending to be confused.

It worked until he felt Saphira reach out and feel his worry.

"The guy that was molesting you on the dance floor," Thorn said next, even though Eragon could tell the red haired male he knew Eragon was lying.

"Oh. Yeah, I saw him," the brunet said and bit his lip. "Why?"

Oh, how he wished there had been a mirror he could have checked himself out in. If he had any residue blood on his neck or his clothes, he was _doomed_!

"Murtagh is my rider," Thorn said nonchalantly. "He's also a vampire."

Eragon felt his eyes widen. Thorn had transformed for that guy, a **vampire**? Had that even happened before!

"Well, we parted ways after dancing. I just went to the bathroom, and when I came back he was gone, not that I expected him to stick around," Eragon said and gulped; more for show than anything else, though it was real. "I had no idea he was a..."

"He is," Thorn said. "And I need to track him down. Goodbye."

He nodded to the rest of the group, kissed the back of Saphira's hand, and gave Eragon a final stare before leaving them. Saphira stared after the other hydra with a small blush on her face. She shook her head and was instantly fussing over Eragon again.

"I'm fine, guys," Eragon said as all four of his friends started to look him over and check for any damage or whatever they might be looking for.

"I can't find any bruises or bite marks," Aksel piped up.

"I don't see any blood either," Nasuada said and continued to check the lining of Eragon's t-shirt.

"You do look pale, however," Arya commented.

"I said, I'm fine!" Eragon exclaimed and took a few painful steps backwards.

His friends watched him with doubtful eyes. Eventually they all sighed and nodded, and started to make their way back to the apartment complex. Saphira took gently hold of Eragon's arm and didn't let go as they walked back home. For once, Eragon was a little glad his friends were so overprotective. Because he doubted the fear that was building up inside of him would disappear anytime soon.

* * *

A figure watched the whole exchange with a smirk on his face. He chuckled and stood up from where he had been crouched on top of the building.

He had to admit, that brunet had been noting like any of his previous victims. Usually when they saw his eyes, they screamed or tried to lash out. Eragon however had cursed at him. How peculiar. He hadn't had a curser in a long time. But something made Eragon unique. Why hadn't he finished him off? With someone like Eragon, he enjoyed to finish them off so that he could see the life fading from their eyes. But not this time.

"You've grown more reckless."

Murtagh sighed and turned around, away from where the brunet and his friends were walking home. It didn't matter; he could find the boy again easily.

Murtagh raised an eyebrow in question.

"That boy was a rider," Thorn said as he slowly came closer.

The vampire let out a small laugh. He ran a hand through his hair and pushed the longer strands out of his eyes.

"I noticed," Murtagh said and smirked.

"Before or after you chewed on his neck?" Thorn drawled as he walked over to stand beside Murtagh at the edge of the building.

Murtagh looked down and mentally calculated the distance he had jumped up. Really, how else had he gotten up the building? The stairs were far too boring. Jumping or climbing had proved to be far more fun.

"Before," the hazel eyed man replied and calculated that if he landed on the large garbage cans, he wouldn't need to heal himself after the jump.

Concrete, he had experienced, was not a nice thing to land on.

"Then you are even more of a moron than I originally thought you to be," the hydra said and rolled his eyes.

Murtagh just smirked.

"Humans are far too easy preys, magicians have a strange aftertaste, elves are such a bother, and the last chimera I had tasted funny," he stated simply. "He was the first rider I stumbled across of. I just couldn't help myself."

"It's strange to see a vampire with a picky taste," Thorn said and crossed his arms.

"I've never been the typical vampire," Murtagh said and crocked an eyebrow. "Or have you ever heard of a vampire that was also a rider before?"

"Nope," Thorn said in a bored tone. "And I'm beginning to understand why. Your kind is such a hassle."

The dark haired man sniggered.

"Now, care to tell me why you didn't kill this one? It's been a while," Thorn said and turned to face the other. "Not that I'm complaining. I got to meet my first hydra since seeing the empty shell of the King's toy."

Murtagh fell silent. He knew that his silence startled Thorn, but he'd rather leave him puzzled than to try and make out the night's happenings.

"Ah," Thorn breathed.

Murtagh just took a step closer to the edge of the roof and looked down. There was no one in sight. Before the hydra could say another word, he had jumped down and bounced off the garbage cans before starting to causally walk down the alley.

He didn't hear Thorn come after him, but knew he would soon. Murtagh ran two fingers over his mouth, mourning the fact that the brunet's blood was completely gone from his lips. He licked them in memory of the sweet taste.

The night was still young; he still had time to think everything over. Something had clearly just begun, but Murtagh didn't know what. It was then that Thorn finally came to walk beside him. Murtagh looked at him from out of the corner of his eye. Thorn would without a doubt tell him to think it through and stop being a rebellious bastard. Maybe he should just this once follow his...friend's...advice? After all, he'd do almost anything to get one more sip of that delicious little brunet.

* * *

Eragon said goodnight to Saphira and closed the door to his room. From there he padded into his bathroom and started to wash off the little make-up he had been forced to wear. He scowled at his reflection as he washed his face. But as he brushed his teeth, he couldn't help but to search his neck. It was clean. No scar, no bruise, no nothing.

Eragon frowned and spit into the sink. Well, he wasn't going to say he wasn't grateful for having been allowed to walk away from the scene without a bruise on him. Hell, his ass had stopped hurting as bad when he had walked home. Though Aksel's comment on how he looked 'thoroughly fucked' had made it ache in memory and made a hot blush strain his cheeks. Really, he ought to smack the blond a little harder the next time he saw him.

The brunet sighed and changed into a large t-shirt and a pair of cotton pants for bed. He turned off the light and padded into his bedroom barefoot.

There was one thought he hadn't been able to shake out of his head. Brom's words hadn't stopped haunting him ever since he had woken up. What could it possibly mean? But it seemed like either way, his days were numbered. Eragon laughed bitterly when he wondered just how many he had left.

He sighed and pulled back the bedding and got ready to crawl into his bed. Before he could even place a knee onto the mattress, a crispy white envelope caught his attention. On top of it was a black rose. Eragon froze.

It was then he noticed that the window was open, and that his drapes were flapping gently in the wind. He hurried over there and slammed the window shut, his heart having jumped to rest uncomfortably in his throat. Eragon looked back onto his bed and gulped.

Ever so slowly he crept forward. He hesitantly picked up the flower. It was the first time he had seen a black rose. It was pretty in its own way, particularly the way it looked almost greyish red than black. The brunet hastily put it onto his bedside table when he remembered what those colours meant to him now. He shuddered as hand came up to cup the area he knew had been bitten just hours ago.

Eragon continued to just stare at the envelope that rested innocently on his pillow for at least five minutes. Finally, he slowly reached out and picked it up. He gulped as he pulled back the flap and pulled out the card.

_**Until we meet again, love.**_

The envelope and card fell out of his hands before he had even fully registered the words. They landed onto the floor in, lit up only by the moon that shone through the drapes, never to be read again.

And outside the wind continued to ghost over the town, whispering of the lives it had seen be forever changed that night.

**The End**

* * *

**A/N** :blushes: Alright, who's ready to send SK to a mental institution? :raises her own hand: Lol.

All kidding aside, what did you think? As I said before, this was a fic that I've vaguely flirted with writing, but I didn't want to write a fic without a plot. Then this came to my mind. Because really, how could I not write a sexy vampire!Murtagh fic? Lol. And I know that it's basically plotless, but I'm pleased with it. There's a hint of plot in it, and that's better than nothing!

For those who are interested in more; there is a sequel on the way. Look for more info on my profile.

I hope everything in this universe wasn't too complicated for you all. Just in case there was any confusion, I've added a few short points about the creatures that appear in this story. But if you have any other questions, or there was something you didn't understand, please let me know and I'll try my best to explain.

**Hydras:** They are dragons that have a human form. This can only happen if a dragon connects with and fully trusts someone. Their hair and eyes have the colour of their dragon scales. They also have an egg-like tattoo on the base of their neck.

**Elves:** They have pointed ears, sharp features and are often tall. (Short, simple and to the point, ne?)

**Chimeras:** They are, and I'm saying this without meaning any harm, a half-breed. They can be half and half of any creature, but the most common is half elf, half human. Those chimeras have slightly pointed ears, which can be more pointed if their elf blood is very active, and are often very tall.

**Vampires:** They have the tendency to bite first and ask questions later. Vampires have fangs that they can retract and "grow" at will. Their eyes also change into a blackish red colour when they go in for the kill or when they want to scare someone. Usually they only need to feed once a month, but a few vampires have a more sadistic side and feed at a bi-weekly to weekly basis, all depending on how evil they are.

I hope you enjoyed the story.


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